What are the best practices for monitoring change progress?

1 Define clear goals and indicators

Before you start monitoring change progress, you need to have a clear vision of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. To do so, it is essential to define SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) goals and indicators that align with your change objectives and stakeholder expectations. For instance, if you are implementing a new software system, some of your objectives could be to improve efficiency and accuracy of data entry and reporting (indicated by a reduction in data errors and processing time) or to increase user satisfaction and engagement (which can be measured by an increase in user feedback and usage rates).

2 Use a mix of methods and tools

There is no single approach that is suitable for monitoring change progress; instead, you should use a combination of methods and tools that fit the context, scope, and scale of the change. Surveys and interviews are a great way to collect qualitative and quantitative data from change participants, such as their attitudes, perceptions, behaviors, and feedback. You can use online platforms like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms for this purpose. Additionally, observations and audits are useful for evaluating the actual performance and compliance of your change participants. Checklists, rubrics, or scorecards can be used for this task. Reports and dashboards are also helpful for aggregating and analyzing data collected from monitoring methods and tools, then presenting it in an interactive visual way. Excel or Power BI can be used to create and update reports and dashboards.

3 Involve stakeholders and communicate results

Monitoring change progress is not a solo activity. You should involve your stakeholders, such as sponsors, managers, employees, and customers, in the monitoring process. You should consult them on the design, implementation, and evaluation of your monitoring methods and tools, and solicit their input and feedback. You should also communicate the results of your monitoring activities to your stakeholders, and use them to inform your decision-making and action-planning. You should highlight the achievements, challenges, and lessons learned from your change initiatives, and celebrate the successes and address the gaps.

4 Review and adapt regularly

Monitoring change progress is not a one-off or static activity. You should review and adapt your monitoring methods and tools regularly, to ensure that they are relevant, reliable, and valid. You should also review and adapt your change goals and indicators, to ensure that they are aligned with the changing needs and expectations of your stakeholders and environment. You should use a feedback loop, such as the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, to continuously monitor, evaluate, and improve your change initiatives.

Monitoring change progress is a key component of change management, as it helps you measure the impact and benefits of your change initiatives, and ensure that they are delivering the desired outcomes. By following these best practices, you can monitor change progress effectively and efficiently, and enhance your change readiness and capability.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?